Your Nonprofit Life
About your host

Ever since I can remember, I’ve had one desire in life: To make a positive difference in the world. To fight for truth, justice, and The Way.

When I started working with Joan Garry and Scott Paley in the Nonprofit Leadership Lab as a super-part-time Community Manager back in mid-2017, I don’t think any of us anticipated how my role on the team would evolve into what it is today. I now serve as the Director of Member Experience and the Content Strategist for the Lab, and in that role it’s my honor and privilege to serve thousands of nonprofit leaders from all over the world.

πŸ”— Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

My core values: Love. Peace. Justice. Tolerance. Empathy. Open-mindedness. Authenticity. Humor. Inclusion as modeled by Jesus. (GIFs and memes are my love language.)

When I’m not supporting our members in the Village, you will find me hanging out in the living room with my husband on the sofa and our dog at my feet. My husband loves to watch movies, and I’m always doing something on my laptop, so it’s a win-win-win. Our 17-year-old son is either studying or online with his friends chatting on Discord, playing a game, and discovering hilarious memes on Pinterest–all at the same time.


A few of my favorite things:

  • πŸ“˜ Book: Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute
  • ✍ Author: BrenΓ© Brown
  • 🍫 Candy: See’s Dark Chocolate Bordeaux
  • πŸ₯€ Drink: Captain Morgan & Diet Coke
  • πŸ’š Color: Green
  • 🎢 Singers: Alanis Morissette and Rob Thomas
  • 🐧 Animal: Penguin
  • πŸ’ Flower: Fuschia
  • 🏈 Favorite NFL Team: Carolina Panthers
  • 🎬 Movie: The Princess Bride

Trivia (everything you never wanted to know about me but now you do):

  • I used to DJ a roller skating session once a month when I was in high school
  • My first ride was a Honda 50 motorcycle (a moped with a kickstart)
  • I was voted most likely to become an auto mechanic my freshman year in college — mainly because I had so much car trouble that year!
  • I was the only female with my major in my college graduating class, and one of two women to graduate with an MDiv in my seminary graduating class.
  • I met my husband online in March; face-to-face in April; he asked me to marry him in May; I moved to Nevada; and we got married in June. This was 1996, and we are still together.
  • I didn’t learn my correct personality type until I was 45 years old.
  • I’m older than you think I am. 😊

I’ll be building this “About the Host” page as time permits, and if there’s something specific you’d like to know, put it in the comments below. I’m an open book. Mostly. I’ve got to keep SOME things to myself!